(Information obtained from Preparing Adolescents for Young Adulthood (PAYA), Handbook for Skill Development, Massachusetts Department of Social Services – click here to visit website)

Some of the facts associated with teenage pregnancy:

FACT: Most babies born to teenage mothers will grow up in poverty.

FACT: Many teenage mothers will drop out of high school.

FACT: Teenage mothers will earn much less money throughout their lives than women who waited until their twenties to have children.

FACT: Babies born to teenage mothers are more likely to have low birth weight and birth defects.

FACT: Many fathers of children born to teenage mothers will not be involved in their upbringing.

FACT: The stress of being a teenage parent is enormous and many are not able to cope with it.

FACT: Many teenage parents do not have the parenting skills necessary to raise a child in a nurturing, loving, and consistent environment.

FACT: Many teenage parents are isolated from their peers.

• Imagine what your life would be like if you were pregnant or about become a father. How would your life change?
• What do you think your life and your child's life would be like?
• Are you emotionally/financially/socially equipped to be a good parent at this point in your life?
• How would you support your child?
• What impact would parenthood have on your future goals?
• If you were a teen parent, what would your life look like a year from now? In five years? Ten?
• Imagine for a moment that you are a baby, ready to be born. Would you choose yourself as a parent?

Having a baby will not save any relationship. Having a child can bring additional stressors to the relationship and create new conflicts.

Having a child is an enormous responsibility which influences the rest of a parent's life. Every child in this world deserves love, security, safety, and a good start. To bring up a child without those qualities or for selfish/wrong reasons is irresponsible and will hurt everyone involved.

Resources

South Phoenix Nurse Family Partnership - If you enroll, a specially trained nurse will visit you in your home throughout pregnancy and continue to visit until your baby is 2 years old. Certain requirements must be met to qualify.